My Escape
by FirstLaugh-LastTears
Summary: When one of Hermione's closest friends confesses his undying love for her and asks her to choose between him and another man, she escapes into her own head. She enters a world made to make her choice and sets out to find where her heart lies. REVIEW! :
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey! New story! Yay! Here I go!!  
Hermione POV  
Beta'd by TalaDentro**

"You have to make a decision. You have to choose between us!"

"Choose? Choose between who?"

"Choose between me and Weasley."

"What? Why?"

"Because, Hermione, I love you. I really, truly do. And with us on the brink of the final battle, I want -no NEED- to know if you love me too. I know you trust me. And I know we're friends. But I want more than that. I want to be able to call you mine. I need you. I love you."

"Draco. I don't know what to say."

"I know. And you don't need to decide now. Just tell me before we potentially die." He left me standing there in the corridor, alone and confused. Did I love Draco? I knew I loved Ron…but Draco? Could I love the boy that had been my best friend (secretly) for the past seven years? He'd helped me through so much. My problems with Ron and Harry. My family. Victor. Everything.

"What am I going to do?" I whispered to the old stone walls around me. The walls of the corridor I'd met Draco in to talk. A place just for us. I leaned against the cold wall and slid to the ground. I thought about every moment we had shared in this tiny hallway. It was unknown to most of the teachers here. But I'd spent so much time in the library reading books about the school that I'd stumbled across it.

I walked here to see if there was anything special about it and found Draco: leaning away from me, shaking. I didn't know what to do or say. But when he turned around and I saw the tear stains down his cheeks, I knew I had no choice but to help him. At first he sneered and pushed me away, but his strength was gone and he collapsed onto the floor. He told me a secret. His father was a death-eater. And that he was expected to follow in those footsteps.

Ever since that night, we'd meet in the same corridor and just talk to each other. We'd grown so close. I told him everything and he told me everything. It was the perfect arrangement. But to think, that all this time he had been falling in love with me... Maybe I had been doing the same and it was just masked by everything that had happened with Harry and Voldemort. And Ron.

I leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes, hoping the answer would be imprinted on the insides of my eyelids.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dream!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

I woke up in a clearing surrounded by oak trees. The ground was covered in orange and yellow leaves and there were many fluttering down. I stood up and looked around, slightly afraid, not knowing where I was. I took a step forward and immediately stopped, looking down at myself. I was wearing a dark purple dress that fell just past my knees. It was covered with black irises and puffed out at the waist. It was beautiful but I wondered how I had gotten it. I decided it wasn't the weirdest thing happening at the moment and continued on.

I walked through the trees and found a small path on the other side. I followed it, glancing around at the nature that surrounded me. It was the perfect picture of fall. The leaves were red, yellow, orange, and gold, falling lightly to the ground. Light shone through the trees and danced on the multi-colored ground in front of me. It really was a perfect world.

The path brought me into another clearing; this one was dotted with flowers. A sound drew my eyes to the middle where a shovel appeared above the ground, threw dirt back, and disappeared again. I walked toward the hole slowly, reaching for my wand before remembering it was back in my dormitory. When I reached the hole, I leaned over and saw a man in old clothes from the 1920s. His hair was dark like Harry's, at least the small bit I could see beneath his hat was.

"Excuse me. Could you tell me where we are? I seem to be quite lost." I said. The man stuck his shovel in the ground and looked up at me. I gasped. "Harry?"

"At your service, Ma'm." He said, taking off his cap, placing it on his chest and bowing. "Though, I must ask. How do you know my name?" He asked, putting his hat back on.

"Harry, it's me. Hermione. We've been best friends for seven years." I said, my confusion growing with my fear. He hopped out of the hole he was digging before answering.

"I'm sorry, Miss. I think you have me confused. You did say you were lost, correct?" I nodded. "Maybe you've hit your head as well." I nodded again. It did make sense. I did wake up on the ground.

"So, can you tell me where I am?" I asked, hoping for an answer. Any answer.

"Well, this land doesn't really have a name, Miss. At least, not that I know of. I live in the village through those trees." He pointed at the trees behind him. "I have all my life. Never left. Village has a name though. Hollow. That's what all the Elders call it."

"Alright. Well, can you help me find my way there? Maybe someone in the village can help me." He smiled and held out his arm for mine. I took it and he led me toward the trees. "What are you doing out here anyway?"

"Digging a grave." He said.

"Oh. I'm so sorry. Who died?" I asked, squeezing his arm in comfort

"That's the thing. I don't think anyone did." I stopped and turned to look at him, confusion spreading across my face. "No one from our village has died, yet the Elder that oversees things that have to do with the land in and around our village told me to come out to this clearing and dig a grave. He wouldn't say why. And he said specifically that clearing. Not in the village cemetery, or anywhere close to the outer houses, for a pet. That clearing. Though I guess I can't complain."

"Why is that?" I asked as we resumed walking.

"I met a new friend." He replied, smiling at me. I wondered why he didn't know that our friendship was by no means new. I pushed it to the back of my mind and smiled back at walked for a few more minutes before we broke from the line of forest and came upon the village Harry called home. He led me through two rows of small cottages and past a street lined with shops. It was full of people both young and old. It reminded me of Diagon Alley.

"I'm going to take you to see the Elders. They should know what to do. Here is their meeting house." He said, pausing. I looked forward and saw another small cottage with a sign out front. It read "**Elder House**_"._

Harry opened the door and led me inside. The Elder House was a one room cottage. The room had eight chairs in a semi-circle and a small table in the center. The table held a book resembling the old texts in the library at school. In the chairs were eight middle aged men and women dressed in muggle suits from the same time as Harry's clothes. The man in the middle stood when Harry closed the door.

"Harry. What is the meaning of this?" He asked. This man had black hair slicked back into a tiny ponytail. His eyes were dark and his face was lined with age. "You know that it is frowned upon to interrupt a meeting of the Elder Council."

"Yes, Elder Grommetz. I know. But this is important. You see, while I was digging the grave you asked me to make, this girl walked into the clearing. She is quite confused. She doesn't know where she is or how she got here. I thought maybe you could help." He stood to the side and I stepped forward so that Elder Grommetz could see smiled and walked towards me.  
He bowed low and took my hand.

"Hello Hermione. So glad you could finally join us." At the sound of my name, the rest of the council turned to look at me. They smiled as well and a chill raced up my spine.

"How do you know my name? Where am I? How did I get here?" I asked, my voice weak.

"Didn't you know? This is the dream world you created to make a decision. To make your final choice."

I fainted.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews!! You guys are awesome! I wuv you. Anyways…..here is chapter dos! And I'm pretty sure this whole thing will be in Hermione's POV so I'm not going to post it anymore. Alrighty on to the story!!!!(Oh and if Hermione seems OOC I'm going to chalk it up to her being in a Dreamworld!)  
Beta'd as always by my lovely Aunt TalaDentro!!!!**

"Didn't you know? This is the dream world you created to make a decision. To make your final choice."

I fainted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_I didn't really faint. I just stumbled back and fell. Harry was at my side in a moment to help me up and into a chair I hadn't noticed before. It resembled that of the Elders' and sat by the door. I took a few deep breaths before speaking._

"What do you mean I created_ this world?" I asked, not looking up. From this angle, all I could see was shoes. One pair walked in front of me and their owner knelt down into my line of vision. Elder Grommetz._

"You have been faced with a serious decision. One that will dictate how your life unfolds. The future is always changing, fueled by the decisions we make. Now the future has paused for you to make your choice. At least it has in your mind. You've created and come to this world to find where your heart truly lies." He said, his hand resting on mine. He looked into my eyes and saw the disbelief in them. "Why do you think you find this world to be so perfect? Why it reminds you of places that make you happy? This is your_ world dear. Embrace it. Use it."_

"How?" I asked him. "How is this little village supposed to help me choose between Draco and Ron?" He stood and I lifted my head to watch what he was doing. The Elder walked back to the others and touched one, a woman with platinum blonde hair and green eyes, on the shoulder. She stood and walked over to Harry, whispering in his ear.

What she said made him frown slightly, but he nodded in agreement when she separated from him. He turned to me and bowed.

"It was nice to meet you, Miss. But it seems I must get back to work. Good day." he left then, a smile back on his face. The woman now stood in front of me, no emotions on her face. Her features were strikingly familiar, but I couldn't place her and I knew it would drive me crazy until I knew who she was.

"Please come with me." Was all she said. I stood and followed her out the door and into the street. The woman led me past multiple shops and people; none so much as glanced in our direction. This raised my spirits. At least my presence went unnoticed; I would have hated being stared at.

The Elder kept walking at a brisk pace. She led me past every shop on the street and the house that surrounded the village. Once we reached the outskirts of the town, she stopped walking, turning around to look at me and once again the feeling that I knew her hit me.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"That doesn't matter right now. What matters is that you learn how to use this world to make your decision." She said. Her voice was beautiful yet cold. She was all business.

"How do I that? Is something going to happen? Are you going to make me meditate so that it comes to me in a vision? Are ninjas going to attack them so that in a split second I have to decide which one to save?" I knew I sounded completely insane but I was so confused and flustered I was starting not to care. Before she answered my ridiculous questions, she led me to a bench. We sat and I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down.

"Ninjas? Really? That one is new. But in all seriousness, I'm not really sure what's going to happen. This is your world. It all comes down to what matters most to you when you're with someone. Whether it be that they are daring in battle or just good for being there for you when you need them." The Elder said with a smile.

"But that's the thing. I like both of those qualities. I want intelligence and bravery. I want someone to listen to me and be able to trust me. I want someone to laugh with. Someone who can hold my hand when I'm scared. But Ron and Draco both have half of those qualities. Together they'd be the perfect man." I said with a small smile.

"Maybe that's why you came here. Maybe one of them is your perfect man and you've only been able to see one side of them. Maybe you're here to find the other side." She turned to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "I think the best thing for you would be to take a break. Get your mind off of things." She stood up and held out her hand. "There is a masquerade ball tonight. I think it would be the perfect way for you to relax and have some fun. Let's go get you ready."

I thought about it for a moment. Mum always did say that the best time to think was when you were calm. So that you knew your decisions were well-thought. I decided to take my chances and took the Elder's hand with a smile.

"Just so I know, what is your name?" I asked as she led me back to the village shops.

"Just call me Cissy." She replied.

**A/N: Review Please!!!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey there everybody! I know this is a fast update, but I figure if I update faster than I have in the past, I'll actually finish this story instead of giving up on it halfway through. Just as a reminder, if I screw anything up character wise, I'm chalking it up to this happening in a dream land. Alrighty? Also, I'm not really into to getting all dressed up so it's barely there.  
Beta: The Amazing (sometimes magical) TalaDentro!!**

"Call me Cissy." She said.

* * *

_Cissy led me through shop after shop, picking out things for me to wear to the ball. I was slowly becoming more excited as time went on and the reason I was here slipped my mind completely. The cold mask that Cissy had been wearing was also coming off. She was smiling almost as much as Iwas._

The dress we picked for me was a deep purple with sparkles at the bottom. It really was quite lovely and Cissy swore it was beautiful on me. She, on the other hand, picked a deep emerald green dress that really brought out her eyes. My favorite part of playing dress-up, however, was when we went to get masks.

I've always been interested in masks. How they could hide who a person was so well with so little. I barely recognized myself in the mirror. I could be anyone or anything I wanted to be in this mask.

_

* * *

_

_Night quickly fell as we finished getting ready for the ball, which meant we wouldn't have to wait for the festivities to begin. Cissy and I walked toward a building I hadn't seen before. It seemed to have popped up out of the ground when I wasn't looking._

"Tonight, I want you to have a lot of fun. It will do you some good." Cissy said, just before she disappeared into the crowd, leaving me by myself. I stared after her, standing awkwardly in the middle of a throng of wonderfully dressed, unrecognizable people in masks. My discomfort level shot through the roof and I was suddenly extremely self-conscious.I watched as dozens of people walked past me with smiles on their faces. After the thirtieth person passed me, I realized how much of an idiot I looked like and decided to walk inside.

The ballroom was a vision of loveliness. There was a large chandelier hanging above the room. Instead of bulbs, it was rowed with small white candles. In the middle of the room was a grand fountain made of two angels who were facing away from each other. Their faces were twisted in a blissful agony and their hands clasped to their chests.

While I was admiring the fountain, a man came up to me. He was wearing a plain black mask with red jewels around his eyes. His face was pale and his hair was black as pitch. But that was the least noticeable thing about him. What really struck me were his eyes. They were silver, grey, and cold. As if he was full of an unnoticed but absolute hatred.

"You're staring." He said. His voice was the exact opposite of his eyes. It was warm and smooth like melted chocolate.

"Am I? I'm sorry." I replied, looking back to the fountain. As I did, I felt blood rush to my cheeks.I can't believe I was staring at him! I don't even know him! _I thought as I watched the water fall from the angels' mouths into the basin beneath them._

"You're really very beautiful when you blush." The man beside me said suddenly. I turned to him to find him staring at me with a smile on his face. He seemed very contemplative as his eyes swept over me, sending a small chill up my spine. I shivered to get it to go away. "Are you cold? I have an idea that could warm you up."

"What is your idea?" I asked tentatively.

"Dance with me." He said, holding out his slender hand. "The movement will get your blood moving."

"Really?" I asked taking his hand. "I guess I'll have to try it." He led me out onto the dance floor and twirled me around in a circle before taking me in his arms. I smiled as we spun in circles around other couples. "I'm not a good dancer."

"It's alright. I'm leading and if you fall, I'll catch you. I promise." He said. "Are you feeling warmer?"

"Not really." I replied, the smile on my face grew as he twirled me again.

"That was expected. I just needed an excuse to get you to dance with me." He said, winking. I swore I felt my blush returning and tried to fight it.

"Why couldn't you just ask me straight out?" I asked.

"You're lovely and I was nervous. I was afraid you would say no." He replied, looking over my head at the people around us. He didn't look back down for a few moments. I started to feel anxious and decided to break the silence.

"Why are so many people wearing top hats?" I asked, immediately regretting it. It was a stupid question. Probably the most idiotic thing I'd ever said. But he didn't seem to care. For right after I asked it, he glanced down with a look that meant he was forcing back laughter."Are you alright?"

A snicker escaped his lips, followed by more and more until he was actually laughing. I joined in with him and we faltered in our steps. We stopped spinning for a few moments to regain our composure.

As the laughter died down, I noticed a feeling in me that I'd never felt before. I couldn't tell what it was but I loved it. It made me happy and bubbly inside.

"How are you feeling now? Warmer or colder?" The man asked me. I smiled and opened my mouth to answer. But I never got to.

For at that moment, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I spun around to find another man behind me. He wasn't as pale as the one I had danced with, and his eyes were a much warmer blue and his hair was sandy brown. He wore a mask of red and gold feathers and held his hand out to me.

"May I cut in?"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I was reading my last chapter and I must say, I loved it lol I made Mystery Man amazing Ha-ha jk Anyways here is Mystery Man 2!!**

As a lot of you know, I have no idea how I'm ending this story. Who gets the girl, ya know. I think I may base it on whichever chapter is better received by you guys. And if I don't do it that way, I'll spend physics figuring it out!!

Beta: The amazing TalaDentro!!!!!

"Can I cut in?"

_I looked back to the man behind me. He nodded as if to say he had something he needed to do anyway. I turned back to the man in the fiery mask and took his hand, waving to the other as we walked man led me towards the dance floor slowly, as if he were afraid he would fall over himself on the way. When he placed his hand on my waist, I could feel his hand shaking._

"Are you nervous?" I asked as we began to dance. He nodded fervently as we stepped in circles.

"I'm not that great of a dancer. I'm actually quite clumsy. I'm worried I'll step on you and send us toppling into the angel fountain." I laughed. It must have startled him because he faltered and looked up from watching his feet.

"I'm sorry. It's just, you're adorable. Watching your feet and counting under your breath." I explained.

"Oh. Alright." He said; smiling as his cheeks reddened. We continued to dance in circles, slower than I had with the other man. Our steady pace made the dance its own, changing the beat of our steps yet still matching the music. We smiled at each other the few times he would look up. In all seriousness, he was very cute. But, in a childish way. I suddenly felt a need to be protective of him. To shield him from the horrible things of the world. I knew it was silly and pushed the feeling away. Why would a fully grown person need protecting as if he was a child?

Once I pushed the feeling away, I glanced at the face of my partner to find he was looking back up at me, an expectant smile on his face.

"I think we would both have more fun doing something other_ than dancing." I nodded in agreement. "Why don't we get something to eat?" He led me to a table heaped with all sorts of food. I stared at the assortment in awe. I'd never seen so many different types of food, not even at the feasts in the great hall. It really was partner was not as surprised as I was. He had already made his way past three trays of food before realizing I wasn't with him._

"Come on! There is so much food to try!" He called, waving at me with a roll. I smiled and went to join him in collecting enough food to feed… well, an entire village.

Once we had collected our food, we went in search of a place to eat. We found a bench on the outside of the dance floor and sat down. Once we settled, the man beside me dug into his pile, treating his fork like a tiny shovel. I watched him with a strange fascination as he pushed bite after bite into his mouth. I knew I should be disgusted in some way, but I wasn't and I couldn't understand why.

"Aren't you going to eat?" He asked after swallowing another mouthful of food.

"Yes. Of course. I just…You eat so much in a very small amount of time. It's kind of amazing. And weird at the same time." I said, reaching down for a bite. A burst of flavors erupted in my mouth. It was amazing.

"Thank you. I think." He replied, laughing quietly. I smiled a little and went back to eating my food. I was having fun with this guy. It was a strange sort of fun, but I enjoyed it. "I'm sorry if you feel I pulled you away from your friend."

"Don't be. I'm having fun with you. Really, I am." I replied with yet another smile. He smiled back and we went back to our eating. We were quiet, but it was a comfortable silence. I felt oddly restless and suddenly wanted to do something else, not just sit and eat. "Do you want to take a walk with me?"

"Sure." He said; standing and taking my plate. Once he returned empty handed, we left the bench and headed for the door. He held my hand as we walked, and I squeezed his in response.

"Wait."

"What is it?" I asked, turning to him."I want to do one thing first." He lifted my hand to his lips and pressed them together. The sensation I felt raced through my body, sending tingles to every part of me. I felt goose bumps rise up on my arms and on the back of my neck. "There. Now we can take our walk."

I felt the blood rush to my cheeks as we turned to the doors.

But we never reached them. For just as we just as we turned, a scream erupted from the crowd behind us. We spun around to find the source of the noise and froze where we stood. The sight behind us was a rush of chaos. People were running and screaming trying to get out of the building. I couldn't understand why until the crowd parted in the back. Then I saw it.

The building was collapsing.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Ok! Second to last chapter!!! Exciting right? Lol What's really sad is that I still have no idea who Hermione will choose in the end. And I have to write it TOMORROW!!!! Geezers. Its kind of sad, don't cha think? Well, hopefully I'll figure it out!**

Beta: TalaDentro of course!

The building was collapsing.

_We watched as the marble walls on the other side of the hall cracked. Large chunks were falling and crashing on top of people trying to get away. I watched in horror, knowing I couldn't do anything without my wand. I was useless._

The man beside me pulled on my hand, trying to get me to leave. But I wouldn't budge. I couldn't. My legs wouldn't let me.

"Come on! We have to get out of here!" He shouted, tugging on my arm again. Something in the back of my head was screaming at me to go with him but I couldn't. I had to do something._ Anything._

"Go!" I yelled at him, wrenching my arm free. "Get out of here!" He stared at me for a few seconds in pure confused horror. But he finally listened to me, running for the doors just as another block of marble hit the floor.

I looked at the chaos around me, searching for something I could do to help. Then I saw it. There was a woman with her dress caught under a chunk of stone, tugging to get free. But nothing was working. I ran for her, against the mob hurdling for the door. When I reached the woman I recognized her immediately.

"Cissy! Stay still, I'm going to get you out!" I shouted, diving for the stone at her feet.

"No! Hermione don't! You've got to get yourself out of here now! Before something kills you." She said, tugging at her dress again.

"So do you!" I grabbed the dress above where it was caught under the marble and pulled the section I had apart. After a few moments, I heard a tearing sound and looked down. It had worked.

"Go! Get out of here. You're free."Cissy grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the door, breaking into a run.

"You aren't invincible. You need to get out of here too." She said, pushing past the people around us. I followed her, my eyes darting from person to person, hoping they were all alright. Looking for a familiar face. Hoping I wouldn't find one.

Cissy led me through the crowd with a strength I didn't know she had. She was holding onto my wrist so tightly, trying to make sure I wouldn't do anything foolish, I could feel bruises forming. As I looked around, I saw the angel fountain, standing proudly in the midst of the chaos. It had been untouched; there wasn't a crack on it. I looked up and saw the chandelier, missing most of its candles and swinging slightly, but still hanging over the crowds of people.

"Hermione! Come on!" I heard Cissy yell. She pulled on my arm again, but it slipped out of her grasp. I saw her look back at me, but in a split second she was swallowed up by the crowd. I went to follow her but then I heard a loud CRACK!! _I looked up to see a crack in the ceiling leading towards the chandelier. It was about 6 feet away, but moving fast. I looked below the chandelier. There were two people standing below it, pushing people towards the door, trying to get them out. Somehow, they'd managed to keep their masks on in the confusion, and I recognized them immediately. The men I'd danced with before everything went straight to hell._

I ran through the crowd towards them. Shouting at them to move. But they didn't see me until I was right in front of them.

"What are you still doing here?!?!?" They shouted.

"Helping a friend!" I yelled back. "You have to move! The chandelier is about to fall!" I pointed to the ceiling, towards the huge crack that was now only a foot and a half from sending the glorified lamp to crush us.

"We all-" He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence, for at that moment, another loud CRACK!!_ sounded, reverberating through the room. We all looked up to see the break in the ceiling had reached the chandelier and it was about come down on us._

The world seemed to slow down. I turned back to look at the men in front of me. I knew we would all die if we didn't move now. But I couldn't move both of the men in front of me. I was scared, shaking and weak. And they were frozen. I had to choose one or stand here and die.

I heard the chandelier falling towards us and I leapt forward, flying through the air and crashing into one of them. Just as the chandelier fell onto the angel fountain, sending pieces flying in every direction. We fell to the ground and slid to the wall opposite us. The dust began to clear and I looked up.

The room was a complete disaster. There was marble and dust everywhere. The food table was over turned, its contents spilled onto the ground. There were people everywhere: crouched down with their arms covering their heads, pressed into walls, caught under stone, or each other. It was a horrible sight to see. I turned my head away from the wreckage, a tear slipping from my eye.

"It's ok. It's all over now. It will be ok." I looked up at the source of the voice and gasped.

His mask had fallen off.


	6. The End

**A/N: Last chapter!! Holy crap lol I am so not ready for this. Especially since any way I choose to end it feels like settling and not choosing for the best. Even if I ended it with Hermione's choice being Voldemort just to freak all of you out. (Don't worry. I won't. Promise.) Lol *sigh* Here I go. For the first time, actually reaching the end of a story that's longer than a one-shot!!**

Beta: The beautiful TalaDentro!!!! (Who, just for the record, was pulling for Voldemort.)

_His mask had fallen off._

I gasped and shot up. Looking around, I found myself out of my own fairytale land and back in the familiar corridor. I stared at the old stone walls, thinking of the face I'd seen before waking up. The face of the man I'd chosen to push out of the way of a crashing chandelier.I shook my head wondering why I'd pushed him and not the other. _Because you love him._ I heard Cissy's voice say in my mind. I smiled.

Maybe that was why. But what if it wasn't? What if it was nothing more than a fluke? I remembered Elder Grommetz saying that the reason I was in that world was to find where my heart truly lied. Maybe that was the answer. If it was a choice between the one I loved and another….wouldn't the answer be obvious? Clear in front of my face?

_"_Of course it would!" I exclaimed to no one in particular. I lifted myself off the ground and took off down the hall. I ran. And I smiled because right now I wasn't running from danger. I was running to tell someone I loved them. That I wanted to be with them. It was exhilarating.

"Hermione!" I stopped and turned to see Luna standing behind me with a puzzled expression on her face. "Where are you off to in such a hurry? Running from nargles?"

"No. I'm not running from nargles." I replied, laughing. "I'm going to tell someone something very important."

"Is it something to do with the war?" She asked.

"Not at all." I said, smiling wide.

"Love, then." She guessed knowingly.

"Yes. Love." My smile only grew wider, reminding me of my dancing at the masquerade in my dream.

"Well, then. I guess I shouldn't be keeping you." She nodded, turning away. As she did, I realized something. I had no idea where to find him in this giant castle.

"Luna! Wait! I need to ask you something." She turned back and I asked her where to find the man I was looking for. She said she saw him sitting in a windowsill near McGonagall's classroom. I thanked her and set out to find him.I was glad her room was so close. The way I was running, I didn't think I would have made it any farther past where I found him. Right where Luna said he'd be. The light from the window illuminating his face, making him look like some sort of angel.

He must have heard me panting because he looked up and saw me, immediately jumping up and walking over.

"Hermione! What happened to you? You're all out of breath!" He said, his voice dripping with worry. "And your wrist!" I looked down at my wrist as he grabbed it and saw marks like fingers wrapped around it.

"It was real?" I whispered, amazed at the sight in front of me. The marks were placed exactly as Cissy's fingers had been as she'd pulled me towards the doors.

"What are you whispering about?" I looked back up to see him smiling at me.I noticed how his fingers fit almost perfectly on the bruises.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you gave me those."

"People say I have slender fingers. Like my mother's." Then it dawned on me. The bit of information that had eluded me while I was asleep. Who she really was.

"I came to tell you something. Something important. Can we sit down?"

"Of course. Come here." He led me to the windowsill I'd found him on. "Catch your breath. What's going on?" I took a few deep breaths and looked up into his that moment, as I stared into his eyes, I knew I'd made the right decision. I knew that he was who I wanted. For as long as I lived. However long that turned out to be.

"I have been thinking a lot in the past few hours. About what's coming. And about what I want to have if I make it through to the end. And I've decided what that is." He watched me with wary eyes, wondering what came next. "I realize now that I've been feeling this for a very long while." I took in one last deep breath and I felt him hold his."I love you, Draco Malfoy. I really, truly do."

I was about to say something else but I didn't get the chance. Because in a moment his lips were on mine, kissing me with a passion I'd never felt before. One that I shared and gave to him as I returned his kiss. Our lips moved together in perfect harmony and I felt as if they'd been made to fit with each we broke apart, I smiled, sucking in a breath and staring into Draco's eyes. He smiled back at me, lifting one long pale finger to touch my cheek. His touch was light and gentle. Soothing.

"I love you too, Hermione. I really do." He said.

**A/N: THE END IS HERE!!!! Lol. I swear I have never used that many gorram pronouns!!! Not once! Gah! Lol But there you have it. The first ending I have ever written. Appreciate it! Lol Just kidding. But please do review and maybe leave an idea for my next fan fiction? One-shots or chapter stories. I'll take both. This is great for stress relief!**


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